3 out of 5

Director: Neil Jordan

This was one of the first R-rated movies I watched casually (as a younger-ster) and perhaps that was why it held such a spell on me then. It caused me to watch and re-watch, to own, and to read the book series. Years later and tempered with some more film and book knowledge, as well as more Neil Jordan movies, Interview With the Vampire still truly sings at some parts but also does reek of book-into-movie, with elements of a large plot thrown into a two hour movie. It does an admirable job, but is best when it calms down to let us appreciate some scenes, and also best with Dunst and Cruise on-screen as Brad Pitt wasnt yet mature enough in his acting to carry his presence here. Anyhow, Interview With the Vampire, for those unfamiliar, is what it says: a young journalist (Christian Slater) manages to get an interview with a 300-yr old vampire (Brad Pitt), who tells him of his transformation and experiences. As written by and based on the book by Anne Rice, Interview is still leagues beyond the romantic vampire tripe released today. It has its romantic (and homoerotic) edge, but its much more tied into the nature of survival and blood than just sexy brooding. It also gives us the full shades of the lifestyle – both the potential allure and the dreadful negative. Dunst is amazing as the never-aging Claudia, and Tom Cruise was perfect as Lestat. Brad Pitt carries the later-aged stoic Louis, but could not rise to the more emotive younger version. This, with the rushed feeling of the larger plot, make the film hard to settle into. But once you do, the direction, the action, the gore, the sets and the cinematography all work perfectly.